Arena Coventry Limited, who manage the Ricoh Arena on behalf of joint owners the Alan Edward Higgs Charity and Coventry City Council, yesterday issued a statutory demand for £1.1million in unpaid rent by the club stretching back 10 months.

The Sky Blues have 21 days, until Boxing Day in effect, to pay the sum or potentially face a winding-up order.

Coventry responded yesterday with an official statement claiming their annual rate of £1.28m is the highest in both League One and the Championship by some considerable distance, while also bemoaning the fact they do not get access to 100 per cent of match-day revenue.

Fisher was coy over how much money, if any, will be paid by December 26 and said negotiations will continue to have to play a part over the next three weeks.

But the City chief is adamant Coventry, FA Cup winners in 1987, will not go to the wall and says they will play elsewhere before that happens.

He said: "I'll tell you one thing, the club comes first. We are committed to fulfil our fixtures. This isn't about liquidation. This isn't about the club going out of existence, we need to be absolutely crystal about that.

"This is about the club setting up a sustainable business model. We will fulfil our fixtures and, by the way, we have contingencies because we are managing our risks, you have to plan. So if the Ricoh shut the doors, we will play elsewhere. If forced into a corner that's exactly what we'll do."

Fisher added: "My message to supporters is there is no liquidation scenario."

ood grief. Someone guessed that the form English player at the moment might be in his national side with some other players? And that's espionage? Now if they discovered that Emile Heskey was going to be in the starting line up.... at right back.... THAT would be espionage. Give it a rest Roy.